Rewiring Colorectal Cancer to Harness Therapeutic Hyperactivation
Official title: Rewire-CAN-Therapeutic Rewiring of Colorectal Cancer
Funded at Yale University · NIH-11505210 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A Yale team is exploring brain-storming new ways to treat colorectal cancer by safely boosting certain cancer signaling pathways to kill cancer cells and by reshaping cancer cell states to improve responses to existing therapies.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Yale University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Haven, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2026 |
| Project end | April 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $220,698 |
| NIH project number | 1OT2CA319802-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11505210 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults with colorectal cancer who could participate in future trials of pathway-activating therapies or related biomarker-guided treatments.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose tumors do not rely on the targeted pathways or who cannot access trial sites may receive standard care without added benefit.
What this research studies
This project aims to use advanced, AI-assisted approaches to rewire key signaling networks in colorectal cancer in order to selectively kill cancer cells through hyperactivation. The work focuses on how altering the WNT, MAPK, and PI3K pathways—and changing cancer cell states—could make tumors more vulnerable to treatment. Researchers will translate basic discoveries into strategies that could be used alongside current therapies in a clinically meaningful way. The effort combines mechanistic studies with the development of clinically tractable approaches that could move toward patient testing.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients with colorectal cancer may gain new therapeutic options that exploit cancer vulnerabilities to improve outcomes.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work has shown potential in targeting cancer signaling networks, but this approach combines hyperactivation and cell-state rewiring as a novel strategy needing clinical validation.
Where this research is happening
-
Yale University
New Haven, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Krishnaswamy, Smita — Yale University
- Study coordinator: Krishnaswamy, Smita
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Improving colorectal cancer screening and follow-up care.
This study is working to help more people get screened for colorectal cancer and receive the follow-up care they need, especially those who haven't been screened much before, so that everyone can have better access to important health checks and improve their overall health.
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Automated point-of-care DNA methylation test for colorectal cancer in LMICs
A fast, affordable blood test using DNA markers to help identify people at higher risk of colorectal cancer in low- and middle-income countries.
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Comparative modeling to guide colorectal cancer screening and care
A researcher team will use computer models to study how access to care, risk, and new screening options affect colorectal cancer outcomes and costs for adults in the US.
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Making colorectal cancer screening easier and more likely to happen
This project uses default options, simpler choices, and direct outreach to help average-risk adults who are overdue complete colorectal cancer screening with colonoscopy or stool tests.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.